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Former Manchester United footballer David May has shared his fears astir processing dementia - and the interaction that would person connected his family.
It comes aft the ex-footballer revealed David Windass, the erstwhile Hull City, Bradford City and Middlesbrough striker, has been diagnosed with signifier 2 dementia.
During the aboriginal stages of dementia, radical amusement a precise mild cognitive decline, including occasional representation nonaccomplishment and struggles uncovering words, according to Dementia UK.
May shared 55-year-old Windass's diagnosis - with his support - during a BBC Breakfast interview.
"I really said, 'Would you caput if I mentioned it?' And helium went, 'No. 100% - you notation it. Get it retired there'. Not to enactment Deano nether the spotlight, but the issue," helium told Sky News' sports analogous Rob Harris.
"I'd hatred my children to spell done that, knowing their dada doesn't cognize them, doesn't recognise them, can't talk to them. It's tragic."
May, a defender with United's 1999 treble-winning team, besides revealed helium is disquieted astir his semipermanent health.
"Ask maine would I bash it again? Football? 100% - due to the fact that I emotion football. It's my life," the 54-year-old said.
"Would I person done arsenic galore headers done training, and continuously heading successful training? Maybe not.
"But I person conscionable got to hold and see. It's a waiting game. Are you going to beryllium the 1 that's going to miss it?
"One successful three-and-a-half radical volition get dementia who person go nonrecreational footballers."
Asked if helium thought heading would yet beryllium banned, helium said: "No, I don't deliberation you request to eradicate heading. It's portion of the game, and you don't privation to instrumentality that retired of the game.
"It has been an incredible, and inactive is simply a wonderful, fantastic game.
"But possibly the magnitude of headers you bash successful grooming tin change.
"I cognize that before, astir apt 15, 20 times, you'd caput a shot successful training. And past connected a Friday you'd spell done it to get your timings right, possibly different 5 oregon six earlier the crippled starts, and past each the heading successful games.
"It's a lot. It's a hellhole of a batch of headers successful a footballer's career."
May has joined campaigners pushing for more assistance for footballers affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
The diagnosis astatine specified a young property for Windass has brought location the world that this remains a large occupation successful football.
"It's not going to spell away. Day in, time out, players are heading the balls successful games, and you know, are they alert of it? Probably not," said May.
"We request to support warring for the close answers and the close funds."
Greater Manchester politician Andy Burnham and the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram person fixed their backing to the cause.
The Football Families for Justice (FFJ) run has the enactment of erstwhile England skipper David Beckham, and is present seeking to unafraid an amendment to the Football Governance Bill which would springiness the autarkic regulator the powerfulness to marque it a statutory work connected the shot authorities to make a broad dementia strategy, including a attraction money agreed with affected players and their families.
"When you deliberation of however overmuch wealth comes into the Premier League now, it's billions," said May.
"It's a pittance what they could donate to these lads who drastically request assistance and care."
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In summation to backing research, the Football Association is besides moving to region deliberate headings from younker shot up to under-11s by 2026. It has besides introduced rules connected high-force headers successful grooming astatine each levels of big shot to trim the risks to individuals.
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